Athletic shoe.



C. ROKAHR. ATHLENC SHOE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-9.1917.`

Lgf'., I Patent@ Deo.3,1918.

In/vertici .entran sraans rarnnr vonirica CHARLES ROKAHR, oFEL Peso, TEXAS.

,ATHLETIC SHOE.

Application led October 9, 1917. Serial No. 195,558.

the arch, and in general to approach as closely as possible natural conditions in walking.

Another object of the invention is to provide a boot or shoe embodying means in the form of plates located in the sole in positions to support and provide a rest for the astragalus, the scaphoid and metatarsal bones of the footthereby preventing falling arches and other foot, ailments.

A still. further object of the invention is to provide means withina boot or shoe to engage the arch'from above, and by crowding the foot within the shoe and holding the saine, to provide anadditional and effective support for thearch.

In addition to the foregoing, this inven-V tion comprehends improvements in the del tails of construction and arrangement of parts, to be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar and corresponding parts lare designated by the same characters Vof reference throughout the several views in which they appear:A

Figure lv is a view in bottom plan of a shoe with the outer sole removed, illustrating the embodiment therein of my improvements. l

' Fig. 2lis a view of -the'shoe in perspective, looking into the" interior, and

Fig; 3 'is a detaill view in section of one of the supporting plates.

The object of my invention is. to' provide.

an athletic shoe for exercising, walking, marching or' the like, for men, vweinen or children. The results desired are to approach as closely as possible conditions met with in nature. When walking barefooted.

on soft earth, the earth llsin the underside Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented nee. s, raie.

of the'arch, thereby effectually supporting the same. The con'entional type of shoe does not provide for the support of the arch in this manner, the point of contact of the foot with the shoe being too far forward and too far rearward. placing the pressure upon the heel and the ball of the foot. As a result falling of the arch occurs which is causedby the 'dislocation of the astragalus bone, as well as dislocations of the other tarsal bones. The metatarsal bones are also frequently displaced in a complete falling of l the arch.

These conditions are 'rectified by provid ing a plate 10 beneath the inner sole of the shoe as indicated in Fig. 1, riveted or otherwise secured therein, and located directly beneath the astragalus bone when the shoe is worn atl thepoint of articulation thereof with the tibia and iibula. The plate is curved slightly longitudinally as shown in Fig. 3. The forward end of the plate terminates at a point directly beneath the forward end of the astragalus bone.

A second plate 1l, substantially trapeZoidal in configuration is located at a point in advance of the plate 10 so 'as to be disposed directly beneath the tarsal bones of the foot, and particularly the scaphoidon the inner side of the foot, and the 0s cuboides on the outer side. One corner of the plate is eX- tended Vas at 12 to provide for support of the skeleton, and it will be noted that the adjacent edges of the plates 10 and l-l are in spaced relation.' This is to provide for flexibility of the sole at a point where it is most desired, and it is therewherethe major portion of the novelty of my invention resides.V

The sole of the shoe should be Vcurved longitudinally to conform as closely as possible to the curvature of the underside of the natural foot and to provide what support the semi-rigidity of the leather is capable of. A flap of leather 13 is secured eXteriorly to the inner sole before the'outer sole is ap-y plied so as not to disturb thev location of the plates when said'ou'ter sole is applied, and to provide additional stiffness.

A pair of tongues 14 are secured interiorly of the shoe, one end of each tongue being secured at a point adjacent the juncture of the sole with the upper, the opposite ends ofthe tongues being provided with eyelets 15. T he tongues are designed to extend across the arch or instep ofthe foot at such an angle as to crowd the foot rearwardly toward the heel `and therefore tend to create an arch where none exists, or to provide a support for the arch in the natural foot. The tongues p are laced and any degree of pressure may be brought to bear on the foot desired to upport the arch without causing discomort.

While I have illustratedand'described my invention with some degree of particnlarity,

I realize-that in practice various alterations y claims.

-Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Iietters Patent is:`

ranged to lie below the astragalus bone of theweareis foot, a secondplate located at a point in advance of said first mentioned plate and disposed below the tars'al bones, and a pair oflacing tongues extending from said insole at an angle arranged to extend over the arch of the foot, whereby the foot may be crowdedrearwardly.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES ROKAHR.

yWitnesses: j

EDN@ J oRpAN, E. BARRATT. 

